1. February 2014: Restaurant Locanda @ Hotel Carlton
I have not attended a Chaîne event in more than a month – and I just remembered why I love going there. The first course that night was a “guinea fowl gâteau with Burgundy truffles, sautéed romaine lettuce and white port” which was a great starter: smooth, creamy, subtle combination of flavours! While being too light for my personal gusto without a dish, the Alba de Murviedro, 2012 (CHF 52.00) was a good choice once in combination with the meal.
The next course was a “black salsify soup with herb sausages” which was condimental and aromatic – creamy, not too thick but still light. The wine co-produced by the owner of this nice place, Markus Segmüller, namely, a M. Segmüller & L. Hillinger, Burgenland, Magnum, 2011 (CHF 190.00) was absolutely perfect to each of the following courses – nicely heavy, strong oak barrel taste, intense nose – amazing.
While not expecting too much of salmon, the “Scottish salmon with slowly cooked chicory, oranges and whiskey” was a blast – the salmon was incredibly tender, the mixture of the peaty whiskey notes in combination with the sweetness of the oranges was far-out.
The main course was a “veal shoulder filled with veal filling, a root vegetable brunoise and herbs, with madeira jus, braised Jerusalem artichoke and pizokel”. It looked impressive when presented to us in whole …
… and even more impressive once on the plate. The meat was tender but could have been cooked slightly less, the jus was a perfect match and – being a huge fan of Jerusalem artichoke – that little cubes were just a fantastic supplement to the dish.
The dessert was – in my eyes – the weakest dish of the evening – the “pear, baileys and coffee” was good but the combination of flavours only fit together to a limited extent. Nevertheless, it was the perfect fitting to introduce …
… the friandises which were truly great. The service was almost flawless – always there when you needed to be attended to, full glasses all the time and last but not least, very friendly.
The interior of the locanda is nice and comfortable but …
… the wine cellar is even better: a great collection of empty wine bottles and very atmospheric – overall just a very pleasing sight.
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Contact Details:
Restaurant Locanda @ Hotel Carlton
Bahnhofstrasse 41
8001 Zürich (CH)
Tel.: +41 44 227 19 19
Fax: +41 44 227 19 27
E-Mail: info@carlton.ch
Homepage: http://www.carlton.ch
About the Author: Sven
I started the blog in October 2009, while living in Milan which I definitely consider to be one of the food capitals of the world. I was in touch with food since my early childhood (as my father is a former chef). Whenever I can, I travel the world to discover new places, to meet people but mostly to try local dishes and to find hidden gems! If you know a place worth going, please drop a line to: info@thediningexperience.org.
Currently, I am a member of the following food-related associations: Chevalier @Chaîne des Rôtisseurs Zurich-Ville; Membre Gourmet Dégustateur @Ordre Mondial des Gourmets Dégustateurs [OMGD]; Gesellschafter @Goldener Fisch and Member @Slowfood Convivium Zurich City. 
